


Winter Dawn

by NtheBeast



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Development, Courtship, F/M, Falling In Love, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Slow Burn, Wedding Night, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-05 19:26:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14625444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NtheBeast/pseuds/NtheBeast
Summary: Simon Baratheon is the the eldest (and only true born) son of Robert Baratheon.Sansa Stark is the eldest daughter of Ned Stark.To Robert, this is an obvious match, but things don’t always go as planned.





	1. On the Road

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters they belong to George R.R Martin, except for Simon, and any other OC I should add to Martins world.

\-- Simon --

 

The road to Winterfell had been long and tiring, Simon had been traveling on horseback for what felt like forever, he was used to being on the back of a horse, but something about this trip, this long road and peoples glares at him. It was definitely a happy welcoming when he finally saw Winterfell in the Distance. It was magnificent, a truly beautiful castle. 

 

He sped up his horse, moving up the line till he was side by side with Ser Barristan Selmy, and right behind his father. 

 

‘’It’s  quite a sight Isn’t it?’’ His father said, his words booming with enthusiasm. ‘’This enormous and ancient castle, in the middle of nowhere, it’s truly a sight.’’

 

‘’You’re q-quite right Father’’ Simon Said, doing his best to set an assertive tone. ‘’It is very Imprresive.’’ 

 

He heard some snickers from the surrounding guards, however, chose to ignore the snickers, and keep talking.

 

‘’In the south, Ccastle’s are not bBuilt like this’’ Simon added to his previous statement, with the same proud posture on his horse and assertive tone. 

 

Robert shot the guards a very harsh glare. 

 

‘’That is right my SON, this really is a northern marvel.’’ After that Robert sped up the pace again, thus ending the conversation.

 

‘’I can see that it bothers you’’ Barristan whispered, with a volume low enough for the guards and Robert, not to hear, but loud enough to not be deafened by the sounds of hooves on the ground. Simon simply glared over at Barristan, trying to act puzzled. ‘’You hide it well my lord, but I know you well better than that’’

 

Simon simply focussed on the road ahead, and sped up his horse, Ser Barristan swiftly followed along, however, he dropped the subject. 

 

‘’Do you wanna pick up the pace an be first through the gates, my Lord?’’ Ser Barristan asked, with a normal speaking voice.

 

‘’I am alright bback here Ser.’’

 

‘’As you wish my lord.’’ Barristan quickly replied. 


	2. A Special Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trying my best to convey Simon's stutter through text, I hope it reads ok!

\-- Sansa --

 

Sansa had been so happy when she heard the King was coming to visit, she was so excited and had changed her mind, about what to wear, several hundreds of times, and then once again. She simply couldn’t conceal her excitement. She had also heard the handmaidens talk of the two princes.

 

She heard then talk of the golden prince, who was to be just as beautiful and elegant as his mother.

 

They also talked of the Young Stag, as he had been proclaimed an excellent fighter and spitting image of his father.

 

Standing in the courtyard, she was still debating if she had made the right choice with her dress, when she was snapped from her thought by her mother’s words. 

 

‘’Where is Arya?’’ Catelyn asked worriedly. 

 

Arya had appeared not too long later and was now standing next to Sansa, just before the guards came in.

 

Arya was telling her about a knight or something, but Sansa wasn’t listening, when she laid eyes on the prince, she knew by description this must be Joffrey he was every bit as beautiful as described, elegant and poised on his horse.

 

Then came the king, he looked nothing like what had been described, her father always talked of him as a great warrior, a tall, lean and brawny man, but the king was nothing like that. She would not have known had Arya not pointed it out. 

 

Then came the other Prince, the Young Stag, she recalled he had been described as, he was tall, towering above both his father and Ser Barristan Selmy (another one she had overheard Arya point out). There was no doubt he was a fighter, he looked very strong and muscular, he had short black hair, and a clean-shaven face, he looked, exactly like King Robert that her Father had described to her. He could very well be a spitting image of a young King Robert.

 

Sansa was getting ready for the feast when she heard a knock on the door, she opened the door only to find, a single rose lying there by her doorstep, she picked it up and smelled it, it was definitely freshly plucked, she looked around the corridor, she saw someone quickly duck back behind the wall.

 

Sansa didn’t know for sure who had given her the rose, but she had taken good care of it and kept smelling it as she got ready, every time she could feel her cheeks turning the same red colour as the rose.

 

\-- Simon -- 

 

She was all he saw from the moment he rode through the gates, her beauty lit up the entire courtyard, he physically felt his heart skip a beat, he was stunned. 

 

He wasn’t staring at her, he always kept her in his field of vision though, he didn’t wanna be caught staring. Simon shifted a little in his saddle straightening his back, he immediately saw Ser Barristan glance in his direction, and chuckle lightly. Simon cursed to himself, he really could not hide anything from that man. 

 

Simon was wandering around before the time for the feast when he saw it. He stopped immediately and knew what to do.

 

It was a rose bush, and it was lovely, but the thing that had really caught his eye was this one rose. That one rose was just a single shade darker red than the rest, it was definitely the loveliest of the bunch.

 

A special flower like that should not be grouped up with all the lesser flowers, such a special flower, belonged with the most special flower in the entire North, Sansa.

 

He immediately plucked the flower and started determinately walking towards the keep. Simon was contemplating how he was gonna give her the flower when it hit him.

 

Simon made a little grunt as Tommen, ran straight into his leg.

 

‘’Auch’’ Tommen said looking up at his Big Brother.

 

‘’Y-You’re the one that rran into me’’ Simon said smiling down at his brother, who was rubbing his head lightly.

 

‘’Sorry’’ Tommen said, as he got back on his feet. ‘’What’s that Simon?’’ 

 

‘’It’s a secret’’ Simon said, hunching down till he was at eye level with Tommen ‘’Do you w-want to help me w-with it?’’ 

 

‘’Sure!’’ Tommen yelled full of enthusiasm. 

 

‘’A-alright, listen here…’’

 

He had followed Tommen to make sure that he did as he was told, also so if he ran to their mother, Simon could explain how it was all just a joke. But he didn’t he did as Simon had told him, walked slowly up to the door, put the rose down, knocked on the door, then quickly scattered across the corridor and out of sight. 

 

Simon watched her as she opened the door, picked up the flower and smelled it, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He didn’t understand these feelings, but he knew just the person to talk to, and where to find him. He was removed from his thoughts when he noticed that she was looking around, he quickly ducked behind the wall, hoping she didn’t see him. What would his father think?

 

It had not been hard to locate the local whore house, and much less challenging to then locate his uncle Tyrion within the whorehouse. His uncle Tyrion was his closest relative, the only one that really paid him any attention, his father was too busy drinking and whoring, his mother was too busy with her golden boy, the one that wasn’t broken.

 

‘’I f-figured I could find you here uncle’’ Simon said as he opened the door, Tyrion was lying on the bed, a goblet of wine in his hand and at least 3 women with him.

 

‘’Ah! Simon, what a surprise, would you care to join us?’’ Tyrion said with a very wide cheeky grin. 

 

‘’N-not this time uncle, I have another M-matter I wish to d-Discuss with you’’ Simon said walking in the room.

 

‘’Pity’’ Tyrion said returning his attention to the women surrounding him. 

 

‘’Now’’ Simon said sternly, as he gave the whores a look that told them to leave the room.

 

Tyrion put his trousers back on with a very disappointed look ‘’Well then Nephew, what was so urgent it couldn’t wait? Your uncle Jamie already paid those whores.’’ a cheeky grin once again spread across Tyrion's face, and Simon laughed as a response. 

 

‘’It’s a-about a girl’’ Simon said looking down into the floor. ‘’Well go on then did you do something to the last whore that she didn’t like?’’ Tyrion said, clearly joking as his grin grew even wider. 

 

‘’No uncle, I-I-I’m not you’’ Tyrion nearly choked on his wine. 

 

‘’What way is that to speak to your dearest uncle!’’ Tyrion refilled his goblet and poured some wine into another goblet, which he promptly handed to Simon. ‘’Well, what is it then?’’

 

‘’I can’t stop t-Thinking about her. It w-wierd uncle, not like with w-w-Whores, I-I can’t stop thinking about her, m-My hearth starts be-beating when I see her.’’ Simon looked at his uncle with pleading eyes, not knowing what was happening. 

 

Tyrion laughed. 

 

Hard.

 

Simon looked at his uncle confused he was slightly discontent with his reaction, he needed help, not laughter. 

 

‘’My dear Nephew, as much as I have tried and teach you, I seem to have forgotten about love.’’

 

‘’I know what love is uncle’’ Simon said discontent with his uncle's answer. Love he thought, he knew what love was, he loved his mother and father, and uncle. But they did not take up his mind and become all he could think about. 

 

‘’You know family love, not romantic love. Sometimes, when you meet a really special girl, you can fall in love.’’ Tyrion looked at the confusion on his Nephew’s face ‘’I have some books for you, that can help you understand this, let’s return to the keep’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it won't be too long until the next update again!


	3. The Feast

\-- Simon --

 

He didn’t know what he had expected from the books his uncle talked about, these stories, of knights fighting great battles only to win over the hearth of a fair maiden. 

 

Simon considered himself well educated, he had certainly read more than his fair share of books, his uncle Tyrion had sought to that. But these tales of love and courtship, this was new to him. It did make his feelings for Sansa more clear for him, he was definitely taken with her, and know he would have to try and earn her favor, at least that’s what the knights did in those tales did. 

 

Simon got up with determination and prepared himself for the feast. 

 

The feast was wonderful, his Father’s voice boomed and echoed throughout the hall, he noticed easily, that his mother would scowl in his direction whenever he was particularly loud. 

 

The Lady Sansa was looking lovely as ever, he couldn’t help but look at her, she looked elegant and poised, he knew he probably looked awkward and clumsy, sitting there with all his bulk, slightly hunched over his food. He felt like a fool compared to her. 

 

His heart stopped when she looked at him and smiled. He grinned back at her when his large smile slowly faded and turned into a frown. 

 

She wasn’t smiling at him, he turned slightly, and saw his Brother, wide grin on his face returning the Lady’s gesture. He not only thought he looked like a fool, he was one. Of course, she was looking at his brother, the golden prince, everyone liked him better, especially their mother. 

 

He stood up, it made quite a bit of a scene, he felt people stares in his back, he headed straight for the door. He needed air.

 

The next few days passed mostly uneventful. Simon would spar with Ser Barristan, or Robb during the day, and eat in his room at night. Winterfell was a nice place, and he had made good friends with Robb, they had a lot in common. Robb almost didn’t seem to mind Simons stutter sometimes. 

 

He didn’t spend much time with Jon Snow or Theon Greyjoy, Theon would disappear from Robb’s side almost as soon as Simon showed up, he didn’t mind, people acted like that at home too. Jon however, just mostly kept to himself. 

 

One Night Simon was sitting in his room hunched over a book when a loud knock was at his door. 

 

He stood up and went to open the door but before, he even properly got up, His Father burst in through the doors, smiling wide, followed closely by Ned Stark and Maester Luwin. 

 

‘’Sit down boy.’’ His Father spat, Simon nodded and sat back down in his chair, they were all looking at him as Maester Luwin closed the door behind them. 

 

‘’As you know, I came up here to ask Ned to come back to King’s Landing with us and become my hand.’’ Simon nodded and Robert promptly continued. ‘’This was however not the only matter I wished to discuss with Lord Stark. I wished to join our houses through marriage.’’ 

 

Simon held his breath in anticipation. ‘’Your Mother wished for the Lady Sansa to wed your Brother, Joffrey. But I wouldn’t have it, you’re the eldest and my heir. One day you shall be King, and Sansa will be your Queen, I will it so.’’ Robert beamed with pride at the last sentiment. Both Lord Stark and Maester Luwin had a bittersweet look on their face but tried somewhat to concealed it with a smile. 

 

Simon nodded ‘’As you w-Wish Father, t-though I do not think the Lady sSansa will be pleased.’’ Robert got noticeably annoyed at that sentiment. 

 

‘’She will be thrilled! She gets to be the queen of the seven kingdoms! She gets to marry the crown prince! Every lady in The Seven Kingdoms will envy her!’’ Robert shouted, getting angrier and angrier as he went on, his voice booming off the stone walls. 

 

Simon simply nodded and returned to his book, watching his father’s face getting a shade darker red by this action. Simon grinned down at his book, he needed to plan, his father may have given him the Lady Sansa’s hand, but her favor he would have to earn.

 

\-- Sansa -- 

 

Sansa found it quite odd that it was the eldest son that she was to wed, her father knew she had been spending time with Joffrey, whereas, the older brother had spent most of his time, in the training yard. 

 

She knew from the moment she saw him, that Joffrey was the kind of knight she had always dreamed of, he was elegant and beautiful, her betrothed was also handsome. She couldn’t help but compare that Joffrey Might end up looking like Ser Jaime Lannister, whereas Simon, would end up looking like the King. She desperately hoped that Simon’s resemblance to his father would wear off. 

 

Sansa looked at the flower in her room and shed a tear. Joffrey, he had admitted the other day to giving her the rose when she had asked, she’d known from the beginning it must have been him. Her stomach turned, she had asked her father again and again if she couldn’t have the other brother, it would be a Baratheon and Stark union all the same, and she would have her gentle and kind prince. 

 

Instead, she got the large brute, the one that left in the middle of the feast, causing a ruckus with no care or respect for her family. She started to cry. _You’re such a stupid girl_ she thought to herself, he was a perfectly normal prince she argued, he might not be Joffrey but he wasn’t ugly, and there is nothing wrong with him. He is the crown prince after all, he’s going to be King after Robert, and she will be the queen. 

 

She desperately wanted to live in the south, with all their gowns and colours, flowers and beauty. She wiped away her tears, as she wondered what he thought of their union, he had completely ignored her since they arrived, perhaps he was not pleased with her. The tears started to fall down her cheeks again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters will start getting longer as soon as they leave Winterfell.
> 
> And I wanted to get a good baseline uploaded before getting to the longer chapters, so here's another one that quickly followed the others, hope you enjoy it!


	4. The Fall

\-- Simon --

  
It hadn’t been long after the feast, Simon was sitting in his room, reading the last of the books that his Uncle Tyrion had given him. When he got the news. One of the Stark boys fell from a tower, he had been knocked out by the fall and had yet to wake up. Simon was saddened, not because he knew the boy, he actually hadn’t really talked to him at all, but because he the boy was so young, it was truely tragic.

He thanked the servant for informing him, straightening his clothes, and then proceeding he walked out of his room.

On his way towards Brandon Starks room, he ran into Robb and Theon.

“Robb, I am sSorry to hHear about your B-Brother’s accident.” Simon said giving a comforting look, and giving him a short but firm pat on the shoulder.

Theon kept on walking, completely ignoring Simons presence.

“Thank you Simon. I appreciate it.” Robb gave him a small smile before returning to his angry scowl, he was clearly upset by his Brothers accident. “I have seen my Brother climb the walls many times, like he was made for climbing. I do not understand how he could suddenly fall like this.” Robb’s face changed slightly from anger to sadness, as he gave Simon a small smile and continued on his way.

Simon continued his walk towards the boys room, he had to offer the Lord and Lady Stark his condolences on their son’s tragic accident. Simon thought back at what Robb had said, and remembering back he was quite sure he had seen the boy scaling the walls with a steady pace, the boy must have hit a loose rock or something in order to fall down like that.

Perhaps climbing the walls of a castle as old as Winterfell was not the best of Ideas.

Simon was now face to face with Brandon’s chamber door. He straightened his back and knocked the door, it flew open, and Eddard Stark was standing straight in front of him.

“Come in” he said, walking over to stand at his wife’s side. Catelyn Stark was sitting bedside to Bran, he looked so small in the large bed, sprawled across the foot end was the boys massive wolf. The Wolf appeared to be sizing Simon up he kept eye contact with the Wolf as he slowly closed the door.

“You need not be afraid of Summer, my Lord.” A soft spoken voice told him, he looked at the source, sitting on the other side of Bran’s bed was Sansa, working quietly on embroidering a piece of fabric. Simon had not expected her to be here. He gulped nervously. This would be the first time she heard him talk. She smiled kindly at him. “He’s a sweet Wolf, he won’t harm you.”

Simon smiled nervously, Summer was not the Wolf he was afraid of.

“What brings here Simon?” Eddard spoke.

Simon cleared his Throat, and tried to rid himself of some of the nerves.

“I-I heard about Br-Brandon’s fall.” He said cursing his stutter, worried Sansa and the Lord Stark would think him a fool, and break their betrothal. “I cCame here to of-f-fer my cCon-Condolences.” He looked looked up and saw a mixture of thankfulness and pity on the Lord and Lady Starks faces. Whereas on Sansa’s there was only confusion. He looked over at the boy, in his bed, looking so peaceful, like he was sleeping.

“It’s T-Truely a Tr-Tragedy.” He said breaking the silence.

“Thank you Simon” Eddard said as he gave Simon a small smile. The Lady Stark also looked at him with thankful eyes and a smile, despite the tears in her eyes. He looked over at Sansa, who merely looked down at her embroidery and remained silent.

Simon cleared his throat again. “I shall leave yo-you alone again then.” He gave the lord and Stark a small bow, and turned to do the same to Lady Sansa, but she was still not looking at him, merely working on her embroidery. He cleared his throat again, and turned to leave again.

Perhaps he should talk to his father about this match, the least he deserved was his betrothed acknowledging his presence.

Father had not been happy with that suggestion, the yelling was so loud everyone in the entire castle had probably heard, for once his mother had even been on his side, she even suggested Robert that the Lady Sansa could wed Joffrey instead, so the houses would still be unified.

Robert was furious, he was inches away from hitting Cersei straight in the face, when Simon stepped in. He took the full blow of Robert’s wrath straight in the face, and he fell to the floor. His head became foggy, and all he remembered was seeing his father's face shift from anger to sadness as his fist made impact with Simon’s face. And as he laid on the floor clutching his hands to his face, all he could hear was his mother yelling for his father to get out.

Then all was black.

For the first time ever Simon awoke in his mother’s lap, as she ran her fingers through his hair. A washcloth was resting against his right eye, as she hummed a melody.

He didn’t open his eyes, he merely enjoyed the feeling of it, but as he rested there, his senses more and more returned.

That was not his mother's voice. He opened his eye, his mind still groggy as he slowly became accustomed to the light. It was most definitely not Cersei, it was Sansa. She hadn’t noticed his eyes opening so he quickly closed them, and relaxed into her touch as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

When he awoke again, it almost felt like a dream, but he was sure it was real, as he removed the washcloth from his eye, he stood up and walking the the mirror.

His eye was almost black in a form that closely resembled his father's fist and completely red in the area surrounding it.

He looked awful.

His eye was completely swelled and he was unable to look through it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed that very short chapter, they are gonna be a little short and sweet here in the begining, but I also plan on uploading the next couple fast, they will get longer as the story progesses, let me know what you think in the comments down below.


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